


Overseas

by robinwritesallthethings



Series: Henry Cavill Characters [8]
Category: Sand Castle (2017)
Genre: Accidental Proposal, Angst, Breeding Kink, Dog-Approved Relationship, Emotional Baggage, Emotionally Available Captain Syverson, F/M, Family, First Meeting in an Airport, Flashing, Happily Ever After, I Decided His Name is Matthew, Language, Math-Based Games Are Dumb, Military, Nude Photos, Oral Sex, Phone Dating, Pregnancy, Reader-Insert, Romance, Sexy Caveman, Spanking, Sy Has a Big Dick Because Of Course He Does, Sy's a Big Hairy Bear and I Love It, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:14:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25826479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinwritesallthethings/pseuds/robinwritesallthethings
Summary: Captain Syverson has always thought of himself as a lone wolf, until his meddling sister introduces him to you.
Relationships: Captain Syverson (Sand Castle)/Reader
Series: Henry Cavill Characters [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1925797
Comments: 92
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You go on your first phone date with Sy.

You swallow nervously, smoothing your dress and checking your hair one more time as you wait for your phone to ring. You don’t even know why you’re this worried. It’s not like you really have anything riding on this date. Jenn basically bothered you until you agreed to it just to get her off your back. She’s determined to set her brother up with someone she deems worthy, which is a bit ridiculous since he’s currently deployed overseas.

It’s not that you have no idea who he is. You both grew up in the same relatively small town, and he was a local football legend in high school. He’s six years older than you, though, so even if you are as compatible as Jenn thinks, you wouldn’t have known it back then. And since he left to join the military as soon as he graduated, you’ve only seen him on his rare visits back home, and just from a distance. You’ve never really talked.

Maybe you would have if he was more personable. He’s tall and handsome, but also muscled in an intimidating way. To top it off, he seems gruff and standoffish. Hardly the person you feel comfortable starting a random conversation with, and that definitely doesn’t bode well for starting a relationship. You want someone you can be completely honest and open with, and you’re not sure he’s the best choice.

Besides that, he’s obviously committed to the military. Not that you think that’s a bad thing at all, but it’s not exactly the most desirable occupation for a romantic partner, especially one you’re already on the fence about. You’re ready to settle down and start a family, and that doesn’t even seem to be on his priority list.

The only reason you gave in was because he’s far away. He can only talk for about fifteen minutes at a time, apparently, so if it goes horribly, it will be over fast and you can just decline any future encounters, especially if he feels the same.

You’re so lost in your own thoughts at this point that you jump when the phone finally rings. You lick your lips, which are insanely dry all of a sudden, despite the lip gloss you smeared on a few minutes ago, and answer.

You raise your hand in an uneasy wave and smile at him. “Hi, um, Sy.”

Jenn told you to call him that, but it sounds so informal. Of course, he’s covered in sand and wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt, so maybe informal is all right.

He laughs immediately. It’s a nice laugh, hearty and full-bodied, but it definitely makes you feel even more self-conscious. He throws his head back while he laughs, tips his chin back down when he finishes, then grins at you. He has a dazzling smile and brilliant white teeth.

“You look like you want to bolt, sweetheart,” he drawls, his Southern accent still thick despite all the time he spends away from home. “What’d Jenn do? Bribe you? Threaten you?”

Your smile becomes genuine at that point. He clearly knows his sister well. “She might have come close,” you admit. “But I gave in before either could technically happen.”

“Then you held out longer than most people do. I’m impressed,” he compliments you before continuing. “Seriously. Only my sister would try to set me up while I’m overseas. It’s a little silly.”

“I tried to tell her that,” you point out, smiling in spite of yourself.

“Well, unfortunately for everyone else, you can’t tell Jenn anything if she’s convinced otherwise,” he explains, running a hand over his close-cropped hair. “I’m, uh, I’m nervous too. I, uh, well, I don’t really know what to do with… all this.” He gestures to the buildings and desert behind him, which are slowly being lit by the rising sun. It’s almost morning where he is. “Not exactly the most romantic setting, even if you were here in person. Maybe especially if you were here in person.”

You shrug. “I don’t think the scenery matters that much. That part’s not always going to be pretty, right?”

You really mean it. You’re going to be truthful with him, no matter what. You may not think the two of you are very compatible, but you’re not going to throw the date or anything like that. You’re always fair, if nothing else.

He leans back in his chair a bit, trying to get comfortable. “Not exactly the most romantic job, either,” he says uneasily.

You shake your head. “No, it’s not.”

“So where does that leave us?” he asks. There’s an edge of bitterness to his voice that you quickly understand. “Most women I’ve met, women I’ve been with, even for a short while, can’t handle it. Kind of makes it hard to want to jump into something new,” he huffs.

He crosses his massive arms over his equally massive chest defensively. You get it. He’s certainly nice to look at. If you were that kind of person, you’d probably date him just to see what he was like in bed. You bet it’s happened to him a lot.

“Sy?” you reply gently. He glances up, looking more vulnerable than you expected. “Look, I know we were just joking about how this is a set-up and everything, and don’t get me wrong, it is. But I wouldn’t have said yes if what you do was a dealbreaker for me. I know your sister is hard to say no to, but I could have done it if I’d really wanted to. I have a lot of respect for what you do. Does it make me uneasy? Yes, it does. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that. But if I just wasn’t willing to be with someone who was in the military, I never would have wasted your time. All right?”

He blinks a few times, then he smiles slightly and his arms loosen. “Yeah?” he wonders softly.

You nod. “Yeah.”

He nods back. “Okay. So, um, maybe we should give this whole phone date thing a try, then?”

You chuckle. “Why not? Either way, it’ll be a funny story to tell, right?”

He laughs again, and it makes you smile wider. You could get used to that laugh. You love to laugh. “Right.”

There’s a moment of awkward silence, then you both laugh again. “So, um, what do you want to talk about?” You scratch the back of your head indecisively. “Normally I’d ask about family, work, things like that, but that might be a bit, well, on the nose, considering?”

“Well, at least we can skip the part where I tell you my sister is hard to handle.” His eyes sparkle as you giggle. “Why don’t you tell me what you do? Jenn didn’t say, I’m sure on purpose.”

“Oh, I’m sure too,” you agree. “I’m an amateur caterer. I mostly just do town events, and I make a lot of stuff for all of the bake sales. If you’ve gone to anything official in the last few years, you’ve probably eaten my food.”

“That’s nice. Is that what you’re going to keep doing?”

“I love it, so I don’t see any reason to stop. I have a big collection of old recipes and I’m always coming up with new ones. Food makes people happy, and I like making people happy, especially with food, so it creates a nice circle.”

“Why do you enjoy that?”

There was a refreshing genuineness to his questions, so you don’t mind answering at all. “For me, food brings a sense of family to the table. Your favorites can be such a powerful memory, and I like bringing people back to those places.”

“I do miss good American food,” he admits. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ve eaten a lot of the food here and it’s great in its own right, but it’s certainly not what I go for when I come home.”

“What are your favorites?” you ask excitedly.

You love hearing about people’s favorite foods. You think you can tell a lot about a person if you know what food they like.

He’s beaming at you now, probably responding to your sudden uplifted mood. “Well, I’m Southern, of course, you know that, and my stomach leans that way. Fried chicken, shrimp and grits, collard greens, biscuits. Making me hungry just talking about it.”

“Making me hungry too. That sounds like a good spread.”

“And Sunday barbecues.” He sighs. “Grilling out with Jenn and her kids, steak and chicken slathered in thick sauce, potato salad, gallons of sweet tea.”

You start to laugh yet again. “You must work out a lot,” you observe.

“Have to, but it’s worth it to eat like that,” he confesses. “I hope I can again soon.”

Your smile fades a bit and you bite your lip, feeling more serious suddenly. “How long have you been away?” you ask. “Jenn didn’t say.”

“A while,” he answers vaguely.

He either doesn’t want to talk about it or can’t. Whatever the reason, you respect it. “Do you mind my asking why you do it? I don’t want to offend you.”

He shook his head. “I don’t mind. I, uh.” He places his hands flat on his thighs. “I want to protect my family. Make a safe place for them. I want to defend my country too, but the people I love are my first priority.”

It’s a better response than you expected, honestly, and you’re not sure what to do with it just yet.

After another moment, he sighs. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have much time. Other guys gotta use the phone too, you know?”

“Of course.”

You’d known his time was limited.

“I, uh, enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would,” he tells you. “Would you like to do it again tomorrow night?”

“I’ll be busy tomorrow night, probably until after midnight. I could do the night after?” you suggest.

You hadn’t expected to want to talk to him again, but you find that you really want to.

“Same time?”

“That would be lovely, Sy.”

“It’s a second phone date, then. It was very nice meeting you.”

“You too.”

“Um, if something comes up, I can’t really cancel, so…”

“I won’t be upset if you don’t show. Promise.”

“Thanks. Um, sleep well, all right?”

“Have a good day,” you counter, smiling.

He gives you one last answering smile, and then the call is over.

You’re seeing Jenn tomorrow, and you’re sure she’s going to have questions. You thought you were just going to tell her that you and her brother didn’t hit it off and that you wouldn’t be talking again.

Now, though, you’re not entirely sure what you’re going to tell her. Because while you’re definitely not head over heels for Sy, you think that there just might be something there, and you’re going to have to explore it more before you know for sure.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sy’s sister ambushes you to ask about your date. You try not to get her hopes up.

You restock the cookie tray a second time, furtively glancing from side to side as you do. This is a PTA event, and Jenn heads the PTA, so you are fully expecting to be ambushed at some point. Since she probably can’t get the details out of Sy just yet, she’s going to want to hear your side of everything.

Not that she wouldn’t want that anyway, but you’re betting she’s even more curious right now, considering the circumstances. Thankfully, the other parents are keeping her busy for the moment.

You head to the other end of the table to check and see if the lemonade and tea need to be refilled, jumping when she suddenly appears beside you and asks, “So how was your date with my brother?”

You press a hand to your chest to calm your beating heart and glare at her playfully. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Because I can’t tell you if I’m dead.”

“I know you have a stronger constitution than that,” Jenn brushes you off. “Now spill it! These harpies are going to be all over me again in no time.”

You can’t help laughing at that. “It was fine, Jenn,” you tell her vaguely. “Your brother is very nice.”

“Ugh.” She rolls her eyes at you. “That is the most generic date feedback I’ve ever heard.”

“It wasn’t even fifteen minutes, Jenn. We barely got to talk. What do you want me to tell you, that I’m madly in love with him already?”

“Well, yeah, that would be nice,” she ventures. “He’s been alone for too long, and I know you have too.”

“Being alone is fine, Jenn,” you argue. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, having someone is nice, but I’m not so desperate that I’ll just take anyone. No offense meant to Sy.”

“I’d take offense if Sy were just anyone,” Jenn replies. “But he’s not. He’s a superior specimen, and he needs a special kind of woman.”

“And you think I’m that woman, apparently.”

You frown briefly at the thought. You’re not sure what she means, but you’re also not sure you want to ask and start that conversation.

“Well, obviously, or I wouldn’t have hooked you two up in the first place.” She pauses, then nudges you when you don’t respond. “Come on. What did you two talk about? Please?” she begs.

You move back behind the tables, shaking your head as you go. “All right, all right,” you give in.

She’ll badger you incessantly and never let you go home once this thing is over if you don’t tell her anyway.

“We talked about you a little bit, of course. Work. And food. That was it.”

You’re definitely not explaining the little aside about his job being a dealbreaker for you or not. She’ll read into that way too much, and there’s no point until you know more about what’s happening between you.

“You are the worst,” she groans, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms over her chest. “I want details, not bullet points.” She taps her fingers on her arm impatiently, then brightens. “All right. New tactic. What do you want in a relationship?”

“You didn’t think to ask me that before you fixed me up with your brother?”

You arch an eyebrow at her skeptically and she shrugs.

For a moment, you think about dodging the question. It would be easy for her to feed your answers back to her brother so he could say exactly what you wanted to hear the next time you spoke.

But you already know that Sy wouldn’t do that, so you don’t see the harm.

“Fine, Jenn. I am ready to settle down and start a family, to be entirely honest. And Sy? Yes, he’s handsome, funny, weirdly charming, and even a little sweet, it turns out, but I don’t know where he’s at with all of that. He’s gone an awful lot, and while I have all the respect in the world for what he does, that makes any relationship hard. I had a much better time talking to him than I thought I would, truthfully, which is why we’re talking again tomorrow night, but I’m not making any promises yet. To you or him.”

“You’re talking tomorrow night?” she squeals, grabbing your arm and squeezing way too tight.

“Ow,” you protest. “Yes.”

She loosens her grip a bit, looking very smug. “Good. And you’ll never know what he thinks about family if you don’t ask him. Just some friendly advice.”

“You know something I don’t?” you wonder.

She laughs. “Even if I do, I’m not telling you. I want you two to talk, and not through me.”

You give her a withering look, but don’t press her. You and Sy will talk about it eventually. If you even get that far.

“You two are perfect for each other,” she insists. “You just have to figure it out.”

Those words linger in your head for the rest of the night. She got called away right after saying them, and you didn’t see her again before you left.

You’re not opposed to giving Sy a chance. Obviously. You wouldn’t have agreed to talk to him again if you were. Jenn’s declaration of perfect might be a stretch, but you don’t think she’s wrong about there being some base compatibility, even though you would have denied it before talking to him yesterday.

It’s just that you have a hard time imagining a man like Sy committing to staying in one place, not to mention coming back from a war and wanting to be immediately tied down. He obviously cares about his family, but he was talking about the one he already has, not one he wants to make with anyone else.

But you decide not to dwell on it, changing into your pajamas and crawling into bed. Even though it’s late, you need to wind down, so you turn on one of your favorite cooking shows and decide to work on some new menus to put on your website.

You idly scrawl notes on a pad of paper as you watch TV. When you glance at it when your episode ends, you frown as you read the menu titles you created.

Southern Comfort and All-American BBQ. Between the two of them, they contain all of the favorites Sy mentioned to you last night.

You shake your head at yourself and toss the pad on the nightstand.

Jenn got into your head, clearly.

As you shut off your TV and lay down to sleep, you realize that, regardless of how in your head she is, she’s probably right. Tomorrow, you should just bring all of this up with Sy. If his answers aren’t to your liking, you can just end it then and there and get back to your regular life.

The thought settles uncomfortably in the pit of your stomach. It sucks to not be able to call him right now and just deal with everything.

As it stands, you probably won’t get much sleep tonight. But you try and comfort yourself with the idea that everything will be resolved soon.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sy talks to Jenn about you.

Sy blows out a breath and makes the call. He knows exactly what Jenn is going to want to talk about, and he’s not sure he’s ready, but he promised he’d touch base with her this morning, and he doesn’t break his promises, so he has no choice.

He grins as his sister’s bright, smiling face fills the screen, laughing when she immediately demands, “Tell me everything about your date!”

“Nice to see you too, Jenn,” he drawls, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Shush. You know we don’t have time for pleasantries. So spill it! Did you like her?”

“I get to talk to you maybe two hours a week, if we’re lucky, and you want to know about the not even fifteen minutes I spent with a woman I just met?” he chastises her teasingly.

“What else do you want to talk about? I know everything about you, and you’re doing the same thing you always do when you ship out.” She crosses her arms petulantly and stares him down suddenly. “Did you not like her? Is that it? If you didn’t, you can tell me, but I thought you probably did, since she told me you’re talking again tonight.”

“Ah, you ambushed her already, I see.”

“She catered the big PTA thing we had last night. So boring, and everyone wanted to talk to me, so I didn’t get a chance to pry every detail out of her.”

He chuckles. “Poor you,” he laments, winking at her.

“Exactly!” she jokes, sticking her tongue out at him. “So come on!”

“I’ll tell you if you at least tell me how everyone is. Your husband, your kids, my dog. You know. My family,” he emphasizes.

“Everyone is just fine, Sy, including your dog,” she groans, clearly exasperated. “Now tell me! If you play your cards right here, you could have kids of your own soon. And maybe even another dog.”

Sy shakes his head. “Rusty would not like that,” he reminds her.

His face softens as he stares at his sister, and he finally gives in. “Okay, Jenn. Um.” He runs his hand over his head, like he always does when he’s nervous. “I liked her, all right? She seems… genuine and… sweet. But you know what I’ve been through with women. Not that I think you’d purposefully hook me up with someone who has a military fetish or is just interested in how handsome I am. But my ass is in danger over here 24/7, and I’m not ready to be emotionally exhausted too.”

He looks distinctly uncomfortable by the end of the speech. Jenn even thinks he’s blushing a bit, but it could just be the heat where he is.

He’s never been the type to talk about his emotions. He only does with Jenn because she’s his sister and she’s essentially forced him to practice his whole life.

“I don’t think she wants to hurt you, Sy,” Jenn assures him soothingly. “One of the reasons I picked her is because she’s refreshingly honest. She tells the truth. She’s tactful about it, but she does it.”

“Yeah, I got that impression,” he agrees heavily.

“Is there more, Sy?” Jenn prompts him softly.

He tries to smile, but suddenly, he’s trying not to cry. He sniffles and clears his throat, then glances back at his sister.

“I just want to settle down, Jenn,” he admits. “I want what you have. I want a family. Wife, kids, pets, the whole nine yards. But I need someone strong enough for what I’ve done and what I will continue to do.”

“Already planning to ship out again, huh?”

“No, actually. But that doesn’t change that I might have to eventually, whether I want to or not.”

“You’re staying home from now on?” Jenn asks carefully, trying not to get too excited.

Now he really smiles again. “Just started talking to my superiors about it, yeah.”

Jenn leans forward conspiratorially. “Because of…?”

Sy throws his head back and laughs again. “I’m not telling you that,” he decides cheekily.

“Fine, fine. But do me a favor, okay?”

He nods indulgently. “All right. Lay it on me.”

“Just tell her what you want, Sy,” Jenn suggests. “I know it sounds weird to start a relationship with the serious stuff, but I think it will work for you.”

He can tell she knows something she’s not saying, but he doesn’t press her for it. He’d much rather just talk to you and let everything run its natural course without any insider information.

“I will,” he promises. “I gotta go, big sis, but I love you. Tell everyone else for me too.”

“You got it, little bro.”

He ends the call and stands. He has to get back to work, but he knows that he’s going to be walking on eggshells until he talks to you later.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sy asks a loaded question and you respond.

By the time Sy calls that night, you’re a nervous wreck. This just seems like far too serious of a conversation to have over the phone, but what other choice do you have? It also seems silly to wait for him to come home to have it, especially when you have no idea when that’s going to be.

To your surprise, he doesn’t even say hello. He just starts with, “Look, I know this is blunt, but since we don’t have much time, I’m just going to say it. I’m not interested in someone who just wants to know what it’s like to be with a big, handsome military man. I want to fall in love, come home, settle down, and start a family.”

The words hang between you for a moment. You can’t help but notice the order of what he said. Fall in love, then come home. Like he’s intending to fall before he ever returns…

He’s staring at you nervously, biting his lip as he waits for your answer.

You’re so stunned by it all that, before you can even think about it, you blurt out, “Did you talk to your sister? Did she tell you to say that?”

He laughs loudly and then licks his lips. “Damn,” he mutters. “You really did tell her something, didn’t you?”

You blink at him owlishly, wanting more of an explanation than that.

“She told me to bring it up,” he clarifies. “But she didn’t tell me anything you said, no. I didn’t want her to.”

“I told her I want to settle down and start a family,” you reveal. “I’m ready for commitment. I don’t want a fling.”

Sy blows out a breath and leans back, chuckling. “She got both of us riled up for nothing,” he mutters, making a face.

“I guess so,” you agree, laughing along with him.

Once you’ve both calmed down, he stares at you thoughtfully for a moment. It gives you a chance to realize how blue his eyes are, and that he has a little brown spot in one of them.

“What are you thinking, darlin’?” he wonders softly.

You blush, but answer truthfully. “I’m thinking that your eyes are very beautiful,” you confess.

“Ah. Noticed my spot, didn’t ya?”

“It’s cute,” you assure him.

“I know.” He grins and winks that eye at you. “Yours are pretty too.”

You smile. “Thank you.”

He nods, then swallows and sits back a bit, his hands on his thighs. “How about this?” he suggests. “Let’s just ask any questions we want, no matter how serious, and we’ll both answer.”

You nod. “I like that.”

“Okay. I’ll start. When you say settle down, you mean marriage, right? Because I do.”

“Yes. Would you want me to change my name?”

He runs his hand over his head nervously. “I know it’s not very progressive of me, but yes. I want my woman and our babies to have the same last name.”

“Well, good, because I agree.”

You wink at him as he smirks. “You’re testing me, huh?”

“Gotta keep you on your toes.”

“All right,” he concedes. “How many kids do you want?”

“Two, or however many it takes to get one of each.”

He growls deep in his chest. “Good girl,” he rumbles, sending a shiver up your spine.

You lower your eyes for a moment to compose yourself as you think of your next question. “Pets?”

“I have a dog. Rusty. A rescue Rottweiler. He’s living with Jenn right now. He doesn’t really like anyone but me, but he tolerates her while I’m away. I always want a dog in my house.”

“I don’t have any pets right now, but I like the idea of a dog,” you agree.

“Well, I’ll have to introduce you to Rusty sometime. Fair warning. He’s probably not going to like you either.”

You giggle. “I’ll take my chances, as long as his owner likes me,” you murmur.

“His owner does,” Sy confirms. “Do you mind if I call you darlin’, or any other cute nicknames I think of?”

“I don’t.”

“I don’t mind nicknames either, if you want to come up with a few,” he challenges.

“I’ll have to see what I can do. Do you always refer to yourself as big and handsome when you’re talking to women?”

He lets out one of his signature hearty laughs at that. “Yeah. It’s accurate, isn’t it?”

“As far as I can tell over a grainy video,” you admit.

He pretends to preen a bit and you roll your eyes at him. “You can’t answer that one, so how do you refer to yourself when talking to men?”

Your face falls a bit at that question. You don’t know if he can tell how big you are, since you’re sitting down and the phone is mostly aimed at your head.

He frowns immediately. “Sore spot, darlin’? I’m sorry.”

“I don’t know if you can tell, but I am bigger,” you confess quietly. “Too big, my mother always used to say. She never liked my fascination with food.”

“Nonsense,” Sy assures you. “No one else matters if you like the way you are. And I think you’re very pretty, even over the phone, so I can only imagine you’re better in person.”

You hope so, but you imagine you won’t get to find that out for a while.

Since you mentioned family, he brings that up next. “Where is your family?”

“My parents got divorced when I was young,” you explain. “I lost touch with my dad a long time ago. My mother is in Florida with her new family, I think. We don’t talk anymore. And I didn’t really have any close extended family, so it’s, um, just me.”

You hang your head, afraid to look at him. What if he thinks that, despite everything you’ve said, family isn’t important to you?

“Aw, darlin’, I’m sorry.” He sighs. “There’s nothing worse than not being able to rely on your family.”

He pauses, then says, “Look at me, darlin’. If I were there, I’d put my fingers under your chin and make you before I hugged you, just for the record.”

You look up at him, wondering if he’ll be able to see the tears sparkling in your eyes. His expression reveals that he can as his brow furrows.

“I come with a big family, as you probably know,” he reminds you. “And if you were, well, mine, they’d love you. We don’t see a difference between you being blood or joining up later.”

“That sounds nice,” you tell him sincerely.

“My parents passed not too long ago. They were older when they had us, so they were getting on in years. But there’s still plenty of Syversons left to go around.”

You smile and he winks again. “There you go,” he murmurs happily.

“Would you stay in the military?” you finally ask, knowing his time is about to run out.

He nods. “Of course. But I hope it will be in a different capacity soon. I’d like to work at the base in town. Training guys rather than shipping out all the time. Maybe doing some work with service dogs for veterans. Doesn’t mean I won’t ever have to ship out again, but it wouldn’t be as constant.”

“Really?” you wonder.

He just doesn’t seem like that type of man at all. It’s so hard for you to picture.

“Really,” he confirms. “When I have a wife and kids, I want to be there for them.”

“Me too,” you agree. “I’d keep catering, but from home, so I could be with the kids whenever they need me.”

“I like that.”

There’s a moment of loaded silence between the two of you, then he says, “Well, I have to go in a moment, but I’d like to talk again as soon as we can.”

You nod. “Me too.”

“Why don’t we, um, do something fun next time?” he suggests. “Since this time was pretty heavy.”

“Sure. What do you do for fun over there?”

“Play cards, mostly. Do you play?”

You shake your head. “I haven’t played cards since I was a kid. Go Fish, Old Maid. Probably not what you do, I’m guessing.”

He shakes his head. “No, definitely not. Just have a deck ready. I’ll teach you.”

“Okay. I’m excited.”

You mean it. You like the idea of him teaching you something he likes to do.

Sy hesitates, then kisses two fingers and presses them to the screen. “I’d kiss you for real if I was there. Maybe even angle to stay the night,” he teases.

You draw your knees up to your chest and rest your chin on them before kissing two of your fingers and repeating his gesture. “I’d let you,” you tell him.

“Damn,” he mutters. “Now that’s going to be in my head all day.”

“You’re welcome.”

You wink and he shakes his head. “All right, darlin’. Tomorrow night?”

“Yes, please.”

“I’ll do everything I can to be here.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Sy.”

You’d been meaning to think of a clever nickname, but lost track of that goal thanks to the conversation.

“Um.” He glances at you, then offers, “Call me Matt, if you want. Most people don’t. Even my family calls me Sy. But that’s my name. Matthew.”

You like the idea of his first name being just for you. “I will, Matt.”

He beams at you, clearly pleased that you’ve decided to call him that. “Okay, darlin’. Think of me tonight, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow, I hope.”

You nod and then the screen goes dark, leaving you alone for the evening. You’re definitely going to spend the rest of the night thinking of him, and you can’t wait until tomorrow.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You decide to send a care package to your favorite soldier.

You squint at your cards, your tongue sticking partially out of your mouth as you concentrate. Matt is barely holding in his laughter.

“I, um…”

“You are so bad at this,” he blurts out. “I can tell you have no idea if you even have a good hand or not. It’s written all over your face.”

You scrunch up your nose and scowl at him. He finally bursts out laughing, wiping tears from his face and shaking his head.

“I should have made you play strip poker,” he says. “You’d be naked already and we’d be having a very different kind of call right now.”

“You assume I would agree to such a lewd thing,” you tease, glad to be distracted from your cards.

You just cannot get the hang of this game. Maybe because you hate math. There are too many numbers, and decisions to make based on those numbers.

“Would you have?” he wonders teasingly.

You reach down and pull up your shirt, showing him your prettiest bra. He sits there for a moment, stunned, then grins and pulls his shirt up too, showing you his impressive chest.

You both pause like that for a moment. Then you dissolve in a fit of giggles, flopping down on your bed and out of the phone’s view.

“Hey, come back!” Matt calls. “Come on, darlin’. I only get to see you a few minutes at a time. Don’t deprive me.”

You roll back into view and smile at him. “Sorry I’m so bad at your card game,” you apologize.

He shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it, darlin’. I’m still having a good time, especially now.” He sighs. “But I gotta go soon.”

“I know.”

You don’t like it either, but you have to be understanding.

“When I get home, I’m going to keep you and that fancy underwear in bed for a month,” he murmurs.

You blush and bite your lip, wishing he was here even more now.

A thought occurs to you. “Can I send you something?” you ask. “Like a care package?”

He nods. “Of course you can. I’d, uh, I’d really like that,” he tells you.

“Consider it your prize for winning the card game,” you decide.

He chuckles. “I think that’s only fair.”

You stare at each other for a moment. You had honestly thought that some of the magic might be gone, having been prompted by your serious conversation the last time you spoke.

Instead, it’s stronger, and it’s a little scary for you. He’s so far away, and in a dangerous place, and a part of you is afraid that something will happen and you’ll never get to really meet him at all.

“Don’t overthink it, darlin’,” he advises softly. “It doesn’t help. Trust me.”

You swallow against the lump in your throat and nod. “I know.”

He sighs. “I hate to do this when you’re sad, darlin’. But I’m not going to be able to talk for a week or so. I can’t say why, but…”

“You don’t have to say,” you assure him. “I understand, Matthew.”

He smiles at you gratefully. “Thank you, darlin’. I’ll call you as soon as I can, I promise.”

He licks his lips like he wants to say something else, but he doesn’t.

Your heart beats a little faster at the thought of what it was, but you don’t ask. Instead, you whisper, “Be safe, Matt. Please.”

He nods. “I will. Sleep well, darlin’.”

When he hangs up, you immediately press your face into your pillow and start to cry.

You hadn’t meant for this to happen. You had honestly been humoring Jenn when you’d agreed to talk to Matt. You hadn’t thought it was possible for any real feelings to develop over a few short phone calls.

But the thought of not talking to him for a week physically hurts you. And the thought that something might happen to him during that week is making you panic.

You have to focus on something or you’re going to lose it.

You promised him a care package. You should figure out what’s going to go inside it.

You sit up and hug your pillow, wiping at your eyes again before grabbing the notepad you keep by your bed to write down your ideas.

You can bake some cakes in small mason jars and send them. You doubt he’s had a treat like that in a long time. And a jar of your homemade Cajun seasoning, which you bet he’ll like. You’re not sure what he gets to eat, but he’ll probably have something he can put it on.

After deciding on red velvet for the cakes, you think that you can also get some beef jerky at the store. You can make it on your own, but it takes a while, and you want to get this sent as soon as possible.

You have no idea what kind of toiletries he likes, but you could include some of those too. You make a note to look for deodorant, body wash, toothpaste, and lip balm, planning to get two of each so that you have some for yourself and imagine what he smells like.

Then you grab your laptop and pull up Amazon. You find a Texas Hold ‘Em kit that comes with a mat, poker chips, and a nice carrying case, a little stuffed rottweiler, and an REO Speedwagon t-shirt. They’re one of your favorite bands and you giggle at the thought of him putting the shirt into his rotation.

Plus, maybe he’ll get the message, considering the title of one of their most famous songs.

You put all three things in your cart, using your free two-day shipping, since it will take you at least that long to get everything else together.

You can run the errands tomorrow, and stop by the post office. You know they offer bundles for sending military care packages.

Still, you wish you could send something more personal. All of these ideas are nice, and you know he’ll appreciate them, but anyone could send them. There’s nothing in there that really lets him know it’s from you.

A thought occurs to you and you slip off the bed, opening your closet and looking on the top shelf. Sure enough, the old Polaroid camera is still there. It even has film in it when you check.

You hold the camera out and take a few experimental shots, checking angles and lighting. They’re actually not bad, so you stretch out on your side on the bed.

You take three versions of the same photo, since you don’t have a ton of film left. One just as you are, wearing the same shirt you talked to him in.

Then you take the shirt off and snap a shot of you in your bra.

Then you take the bra off, covering what you can of your breasts with one arm, leaving the bra on the bed so it will still be in the picture.

You decide you’ll put the bra in the package too. He can return it when he comes home.

The pictures are a bold move, especially for you, but if you’d been going out on dates here, in person, he would have seen far more already. It’s your little way of letting him know how serious you are, and of giving him something to look forward to.

You just hope he likes everything, and that nothing happens to him during this next week so that he can enjoy it.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Sy’s dog and finally hear from him again.

You spend the next week keeping yourself as busy as possible so that you don’t think about what might be happening to Matt.

On Friday, you run into Jenn at the grocery store and she invites you over for coffee because she wants a favor. You accept, smiling at her a little anxiously as you wrap your hands around the hot mug.

“Have you heard from Matt?” you ask, looking down at her table so you aren’t meeting her eyes when she answers.

“Matt?” she teases, nudging you with her foot as she sits down across from you.

You glance up at her and bite your lip. “He told me to call him Matt. Or Matthew.”

“Interesting.” Jenn takes a sip of her coffee and looks at you. “I haven’t heard from him, but sweetie, I’m sure he’s just fine. It’s Sy. I know he’s not invincible, but…”

“But he seems that way,” you agree.

“He’s always come back before, sweetie. He will this time too.” She pauses and nudges you again. “So what’s happened since we last talked? I’ve been dying to ask, but the last time I spoke to Sy, he told me to stop meddling and leave you alone.”

“And you listened to him?” you tease. “There’s an ocean and several continents between you.”

She shrugs. “Well, honestly, I thought maybe he said it because I upset you and you told him.”

“Oh, Jenn. No, you didn’t upset me,” you assure her. “And even if you did, I wouldn’t send your brother after you. I’d tell you myself.”

“I figured that, so I guess I’ll forgive him, then,” she sighs. “Since he was obviously just defending your honor.”

You smile at the thought. “We did talk about what you suggested. It sounds like we both want the same things.”

“I’m glad,” she says, smiling back.

“And he tried to teach me how to play poker, but I was horrible at it,” you laugh. “That was the last time we talked. I sent him a care package this week. According to the post office, it’s already arrived, so he may have seen it already, but we haven’t talked yet. He promised to call as soon as he could.”

“A care package, huh? God, it’s been too long since I sent him one. What was in it?”

“Some little cakes I baked. Homemade Cajun seasoning. Beef jerky. Some toiletries. I guess I could have asked you what he likes, but I didn’t think about it. I just picked some things I thought he’d like. And I put a few little gifts in there. Just some things to lift his spirits, you know?”

You finally look directly at Jenn, and she’s beaming. “You’ve got it bad for my brother,” she sings.

Your blush gives you away. “I might,” you whisper.

“Well, my favor should be a lot easier to get, then,” she chuckles, taking the mugs to the sink since you’ve both finished your coffee. “We are going away this weekend, and I need someone to watch Sy’s dog.”

“Rusty?” you wonder. “Sure. I’d love to.”

“Sy told you about him, huh?”

You nod. “Yeah. Said he doesn’t really like anyone else but him.”

“He does not,” Jenn confirms. “But he’ll behave.”

“Well, is he here now? I could just take him tonight,” you offer.

“That would be great. I’ll get you his things. Want to go meet him? He’s in the backyard. I’ll just be a minute.”

“I’d love to.”

While she goes to collect everything you’ll need, you stick your head out into the backyard and see if you can spot the dog. You smile as you catch sight of the beautiful black and brown Rottweiler.

You step all the way out onto the grass and bend down a little. “Hi, Rusty,” you call him, waving.

His ears perk up and he looks at you quizzically. He utters one soft bark, then runs directly to you, snuggling against your chest and licking your face.

You laugh and scratch him behind the ears. “Well, aren’t you friendly?”

You hear the back door open again, but don’t look away from Rusty. Jenn comes up next to you and stares in disbelief.

“Uh, what are you doing, Rusty?” she wonders incredulously.

He howls playfully and flops onto the ground, showing you his belly. You start to rub it and he wiggles happily, clearly enjoying himself.

“You’re such a good boy, Rusty,” you compliment him. “Yes, you are.”

Jenn is grinning down at you. “I can’t believe it. He’s not like this with anybody but Sy.”

“He’s just a big baby,” you coo. “Isn’t he?”

Rusty makes a noise of contented agreement as you rub his chin. Jenn shakes her head at him and then hands you a bag. “I’m almost out of food, I realized. There’s more at Sy’s. I can give you the key so you can pick it up. And that way, if you need anything else over the weekend, you can just get it there.”

“Uh-huh.”

You raise an eyebrow at her. You know what she’s doing. She’s giving you the chance to snoop around Matt’s place.

She shrugs and waves goodbye, so you lead Rusty out to your car, making him comfortable in the back before heading out.

Matt has a cute little house not far from Jenn’s. You pull into the driveway and let Rusty out, figuring that he might like to see home for a bit.

You let him in and go to find his food, grabbing an unopened bag. While you’re busy, Rusty runs deeper into the house. You stash the food by the door and go to find him.

“Buddy, where’d you go?”

He barks obligingly and you follow the sound, pursing your lips when you realize that he’s led you directly to Matt’s bedroom.

You immediately lean down and grab his collar. “Come on, boy. We have to go, okay?”

He whines briefly, looking up at you with sad eyes. You lean down and hug him. “I know, boy. It’ll be okay. I hope we see him soon.”

You stand and turn to leave the room. As you walk past Matt’s dresser, you spot a t-shirt sitting on top of it, neatly folded like it’s waiting for him to put it on the next morning.

Impulsively, you grab it and lift it to your nose. The shirt is clean, but there’s definitely still some sort of scent clinging to it.

Part of you wants to set it back down, but you can’t. So you take it, tucking it against your chest and making sure to grab Rusty’s food before you go.

You spend most of the rest of the night getting him settled in. You even look up how to make some homemade dog treats and let him test out a batch. He likes them so much that you think you should add them to your website.

When you get ready for bed, you put on Matt’s shirt. Rusty jumps up into bed to snuggle with you, and you don’t stop him.

You sleep fitfully. Rusty’s presence is comforting, but not enough.

Still, it’s not the early morning sun that wakes you. It’s your phone ringing.

You sit up and grab it when you see the number, answering the call immediately.

It’s Matt.

He laughs as soon as he sees you, and you blush when you realize that you’re wearing his shirt and your hair is completely messed up.

“Well, hey there, darlin’.”

Rusty wakes up immediately, huffing and turning until he’s in the frame. He barks happily when he sees Matt, then cuddles against you.

Matt blinks and licks his lips. “Looking real friendly there, Rusty.”

You smile and pet the dog. “I don’t know what you mean about him not liking people. He’s just a big pushover.”

Rusty growls in protest and you raise an eyebrow at him. He huffs again and lays his head in your lap.

Matt laughs. “Well, I’ll be damned. I can’t believe it.” He pauses, then tilts his head to the side and grins. “Is that my t-shirt?”

“Rusty ran into your bedroom when I went to your place to pick up food,” you explain.

He smiles. “Really? And you didn’t snoop at all?”

“You better be kidding,” you chastise him. “Or else I’m going to regret sending you that care package.”

You nod at his t-shirt.

“I love REO,” he says sincerely. “And I definitely do not want you to regret sending that package. Thank you very much, by the way.”

“Was everything okay?” you wonder.

“More than,” he admits. “I’m just lucky I was by myself when I opened it, considering what was in there.”

You pull up the collar of his t-shirt and hide in it briefly. He chuckles as you murmur, “It wasn’t too much?”

“Too much did not cross my mind,” he admits. “Not enough, perhaps.”

“I have to save something for when you come home,” you remind him softly.

“A little mystery. I like it.” He winks at you. “The cake was delicious,” he assures you. “And that Cajun seasoning you sent? Makes my eggs taste about a million times better. I love spicy food.”

“I’m glad.”

“I appreciate the toiletries. Those are hard to come by here. How did you know what to get? Did you ask Jenn?”

“I just picked things I thought you’d like. I, um, got two of each so I could keep one and think about the way you smell.”

He growls under his breath. “You’re making it really hard to keep my cool over here, darlin’.”

“Maybe that’s my intention,” you reply coyly.

He shakes his head at you, but his eyes are lit up. “The guys and I are making good use of the poker kit,” he tells you. “And I put my stuffed Rusty on my bed.”

He tears up a bit, wiping them away quickly. “Thank you. Really. It’s… nice to have someone care about me as much as you do.”

“I do care about you, Matthew,” you murmur.

“Well, obviously,” he jokes, trying to play it off. “I hope you don’t send those pictures to everybody you know.”

He winks as you giggle and blush. “I’ve never done anything like that before. Just for you.”

He bites his lip and then stares right into your eyes through the camera. “If I have my way, you won’t ever do it for anyone else,” he confesses.

“I don’t ever want to do it for anyone else,” you promise.

“Good.” He sighs. “I have to go. I’m going to call you as often as I can, okay?”

“Okay,” you agree.

“Take care of her for me, huh, Rusty?”

Rusty’s ears perk up and he barks softly, as if he’s saying yes. You smile at him and scratch his ears.

“I’ll talk to you soon, I hope, darlin’.”

“All right. Enjoy your gifts.”

“I wish I could send some back.”

“I’ll take them all when you come home,” you decide, trying to smile at him instead of crying.

He notices, though, of course.

“I know it’s hard, darlin’. I hope I’ll be home soon. I really want to spend some time with you.”

You nod at him, comforted by the thought. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Good. Have a nice day, all right?”

“I’ll try.”

And you will, for his sake. But it’s hard to sit here being lonely when you know he’s out there and he wants you.

The call ends and you sigh. Rusty whines and sits up, nuzzling your face.

“Thanks, buddy,” you tell him.

Then, because you couldn’t say it to Matt yet, but you want to say it out loud to someone, you add, “I think I love him, boy.”

Rusty barks happily and wags his tail. You laugh through your tears and hug him, curling back up in bed to try to get some more sleep.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenn calls and tells you that something has happened to Sy.

The next few days pass quickly. Jenn suggests that Rusty just stay with you, since he likes you so much. You’re happy to agree, and you spoil him with new toys, more homemade dog treats, and homemade dog food.

You’re walking him one morning when your phone rings. Matt has been calling you at least once a day, so you’re hoping it’s him.

But your caller ID says that it’s Jenn. Wondering what she needs, you answer brightly.

“Hey, Jenn, what’s up?”

For a moment, there’s only silence on the other end of the line.

“Jenn? Are you there?”

Finally, she takes a shaky breath. She chokes out a sob and then manages to say, “It’s Sy, sweetie. Something’s happened.”

Your heart freezes in your chest and drops through your stomach into your shoes. You come to a stop on the sidewalk and Rusty whines, gazing up at you.

“Jenn? Jenn, is he…?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. I really don’t. I called him this morning and some rookie picked up. He said Sy was at the water station and an IED went off. He didn’t know anything else, and there was no one around to ask.”

You open your mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. You don’t know that there’s really anything to say.

He can’t be gone. It’s not possible. There’s so much you haven’t said to him yet. You haven’t even technically met him.

The thought of it being over without ever feeling his arms around you, without ever getting to kiss him, without ever spending a night warm and safe in his embrace, is too much to bear.

“Sweetie, come over. We’re all just sitting and waiting to hear something. You shouldn’t be alone, okay?”

You nod before you remember that she can’t hear you. “I’m on my way,” you tell her softly.

You’re actually not far from her place, so you just head over there as quickly as you can with Rusty. She lets you in and ushers you into the living room, where everyone else is waiting. Her husband and all four of their kids are there, and a few family friends.

Suddenly, you feel like an intruder. You don’t know Matt all that well, despite how close you are already. And none of the people here know that. Even Jenn doesn’t know everything.

You swallow thickly as you think about leaving. You don’t want to. You want to know whatever there is to know as soon as you can, and if he’s hurt, or worse, no one will know to call you. They’ll call his family.

As you stare at all of them, their faces grim as they worry about their brother, their uncle, their friend, all you want to do is cry. But you can’t do it in front of them. You’ll look ridiculous.

So, without a word, you turn and run to the bathroom, slamming the door shut and sliding down the wall to bury your face in your knees, starting to rock back and forth as you sob loudly.

You hear Rusty bark and run through the hallway to the door, his toenails clicking on the floor. He whines and scratches at the door.

You can’t stand the thought of him being alone with a bunch of people he only tolerates, so you open the door and let him in, hugging him tightly when he comes to stand next to you, wiggling his head between your knees and chest.

Jenn follows shortly after and joins you both on the floor, putting her arm around you and squeezing hard. “Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry,” she apologizes. “I wish I hadn’t called until I knew something.”

You shake your head. “No,” you choke out. “I want to be here. I just… I just feel so strange. I barely know him, but all I can think about is what I’m going to do if he’s gone.”

“You don’t have to have known him for a long time to have feelings,” she assures you. “You have just as much of a right to them as anyone else.”

She pauses, then adds, “I don’t know what I’m going to do if he’s gone, either. He may be my baby brother, but he’s so much stronger than me.”

She sniffles and starts to cry too. The three of you just sit for a few minutes, crying together. Well, Rusty just whines, really, but it’s close enough.

“Come on,” Jenn finally says, standing and grabbing your hands to make you stand too. “There’s food coming, and you need to eat. I know you probably don’t want to, but it might be a while before we hear anything, and you need to take care of yourself, okay?”

You nod and follow her, even though she’s right. You don’t want to eat anything. All you can think about is Matt.

The way you see it, this can end three ways. He could be absolutely fine, he could be hurt, or he could be…

You swallow and make yourself think it.

Dead.

He could be dead.

Only the last option is unacceptable. You can live with anything else. If he’s hurt, you’ll take care of him, and you won’t mind at all.

You pick idly at the deli and veggie trays Jenn ordered, managing a few bites here and there as you wait. The TV is on in the background, but you’re not really watching it. You escape outside every once in a while with Rusty, breathing in the fresh air.

The sun is setting the next time you take him out. When you come back in, you sit down, scratching him behind his ears, contemplating whether you should leave or not. Is staying awake all night going to make anything better?

Then Jenn’s phone rings. She doesn’t say anything, just answers it. You hold your breath.

“You’re all right!” she exclaims immediately, wiping away a few tears and smiling.

“I’m fine, big sister,” he replies gruffly. “That’s the last time I leave a rookie in charge of the phone. He should have known better than to say anything to anyone. I’m so sorry.”

Your heart finally starts beating again at the sound of his voice. He seems tired, but otherwise normal.

“Are you okay? What happened to your face?” Jenn asks worriedly.

“Nothing bad. I might have a few little scars, but it won’t be a problem.” He pauses, then says, “Come on, girl. Show me everybody.”

She laughs and holds the phone up to each person in turn. You can’t help smiling as he says hello to the kids. It’s clear that they adore him. It makes you think of your talks about family and wanting kids. He’ll be a fantastic father.

Jenn saves you for last. You try to smile, but find that you can’t. Instead, you sniffle and start to cry again, much to your embarrassment.

“I didn’t know you’d be here, darlin’,” he murmurs, staring at you, his big blue eyes wide. “Please, please don’t cry,” he begs softly, sniffling and wiping away a few tears himself.

There are so many things you could say in response.

_I was worried about you._

_I’m glad you’re all right._

_I wanted to support your family and make sure you were okay._

But what comes out when you open your mouth is, “Oh, Matthew, I love you.”

Your cheeks immediately become so hot that you’re legitimately afraid you’re going to spontaneously combust. It wasn’t untrue, but you hadn’t meant to say it like that, especially in front of his whole family.

“Oh my God,” Jenn whispers, her hands trembling slightly as she tries to hold the phone steady.

Matt’s smile is so wide that it’s basically leaping off his face as you rush to explain yourself.

“I… I just… I spent almost an entire day thinking you might be… be… dead.” You shiver when you finally say it out loud. “I can’t stand it,” you admit. “The thought of losing you.”

“I can’t stand the thought of losing you either, darlin’,” he agrees softly. “I love you too.”

Rusty howls his approval and you finally smile, hugging the dog fiercely. All you can do now is stare at Matt on the phone screen.

He stares right back as Jenn starts chanting. “Oh my God! Oh my God, you two!”

Matt chuckles. “Damn, darlin’,” he sighs. “I really can’t wait to be home.”

You couldn’t agree more. Even though you don’t know how many there are, you’re going to count the days until he’s back.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sy comes home.

You stand in the lobby of the airport, jittering with nervous energy, resisting the urge to ask Jenn how you look. You look great, and you know it. You spent all morning finding the perfect outfit for this exact moment.

But once again, standing here with all of Matt’s family and friends, you feel distinctly out of place, even though they’ve invited you in and embraced you as one of their own over the past few weeks.

Not that they’ve done anything to make you feel that way. It’s still all on you. You just feel so awkward standing here with them when you’ve never even technically met Matt.

He’s already told you that you’re overthinking it. You have met, as far as he’s concerned, and you know that he’s right, in a way.

There’s also just a lot of pressure on this moment. You’re going to see him in person for the first time. When you’re really paying attention, anyway. You’ve seen him around town from a distance, of course, but you weren’t looking then.

What if you’re not what he’s expecting? What if he’s disappointed?

Oddly, you’re not worried about the reverse. You’re assuming that he’s going to be even better in person, but you just can’t make your brain think the same thing about yourself.

And how are you supposed to act? Does he want it to be like a movie, where you run to him and jump into his arms? Does he want you to wait for him to make the first move? What are you supposed to say? What if he asks something you’re not prepared to answer?

You don’t even know what to call him. Is he your boyfriend? Neither of you has ever used that word, and it doesn’t seem important enough for him at all. But it’s not like you’re getting married or anything either.

Everything just feels up in the air. You need time with him to talk it all out.

But you can hardly take him away from his family when he’s just come home. Even though you know it will be hard, you just have to be patient.

You blow out a breath. You feel like you did that first time you talked to him, when he said you looked ready to bolt.

“No running,” Jenn murmurs, sliding her arm through yours to hold you in place. “He wants to see you, sweetie.”

“Doesn’t he want to see all of you more?” you wonder shyly.

Jenn laughs. “No, definitely not. Don’t get me wrong. We’re his family and he loves us. But he’s never been in love, sweetie. You’re in the number one spot right now. Until you have kids.”

She nudges you suggestively and you smile, blushing and looking down at your feet.

While you’re avoiding her gaze, you hear the kids yell, “Uncle Sy!”

Then they’re running, he’s laughing, and you find yourself unable to look up.

Once the commotion has died down, you hear his voice. “All right, kiddos. I promise to play with you as soon as I can, but first I have a very special lady to meet, okay?”

Jenn lets go of you and you hear the kids scurry back to her. Sy’s deep chuckle makes your belly pulse, and you bite your lip.

“You gonna look at me, darlin’?” he asks gently.

You force yourself to look up, your cheeks blazing. When he meets your eyes, he sighs happily and grins.

“God, you’re even more beautiful in person. I didn’t think it was possible.”

You beam at him. “So are you,” you whisper.

And God, he is. He’s tall and broad and built like a freight train. He trimmed his hair and beard to make sure it looked neat, even though the style is still the same.

He’s also twitching with the effort of keeping himself still. It’s painfully obvious. Suddenly, you do want to act like you’re in a movie and run and jump into his arms.

But you stay where you are because you don’t know what he wants yet. And you’re not sure that he can hold your weight either, even with how strong he looks.

Finally, he bites his lip. “Want to come say hi to me?” he suggests.

You nod immediately, laughing as he holds out his arms and motions with his head. “Run and jump, darlin’.”

You can’t help responding eagerly to the invitation. Suddenly, you’re running, and when you reach him, you leap into his arms. You twine them around his neck as he holds you tightly, his palm finding your bottom and squeezing it teasingly.

“Matt!” you gasp.

There are people everywhere, and any one of them could see him.

“What?” he protests lightly. “I served my country. I deserve to cop a feel.”

He stops your laughter by pressing his lips to yours.

Suddenly, it’s like you’re not even in the airport anymore. All you know is that he’s warm and solid against you, and he smells amazing, like everything you sent him.

He tastes like mint, and he’s an incredible kisser. His lips mold to yours perfectly, and every movement is purposeful as he explores your mouth with his.

A shiver moves up your spine when his tongue traces your lips, begging for entrance. You let him in, squeezing even tighter and pressing closer.

Finally, he hums deep in his throat and pulls back, resting his forehead against yours and rubbing your noses together gently. “If I don’t stop, this is going to go beyond PG-13 real fast,” he mutters.

You giggle and smile at him shyly. “And you probably have to put me down. I’m heavy.”

He snorts and hitches you up further into his arms. “Hardly, darlin’. I could carry you around all day. Want me to prove it?”

Before you can answer, he walks forward with you still in his arms. “Let’s go to this barbecue,” he declares as you rest your head on his shoulder and bury your nose in his neck. “I’m hungry.”

He gazes down at you meaningfully, and you can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s not just talking about food.

Jenn’s husband grabs Matt’s luggage for him while Matt slides easily into the backseat with you, reluctantly setting you beside him and buckling you in before sliding his arm around you. “I’m not letting go unless I have to,” he assures you, lifting your chin up and kissing you again.

You melt into the gesture. You have absolutely no complaints.

He holds your hand as you get out of the car at Jenn’s and leads you to the kitchen, immediately asking how he can help. You stand on your tiptoes to kiss him again and he pulls you in, making it last longer than you’d intended.

“I made almost everything yesterday. We just need to grill the meat, really,” you murmur distractedly.

“I can do that,” he offers, kissing you again after he’s said it.

“Okay.”

You kiss him yet again, his hands gripping your waist. You stroke your fingers through his beard, then down his chest, very tempted to slide them under his t-shirt.

“If you do, I won’t be able to resist taking you to the guest room,” he warns, growling deep in his chest.

As tempting as that is, you don’t want your first time with him to be a rushed quickie at his sister’s. Not that you don’t think it would be satisfying. You’re sure it would be.

But when you’re with him like that, you want to take your time. So you move your hands back to his shoulders and impulsively ask, “Tonight?”

He chuckles. “Hell yes, darlin’. At a certain point, I’m gonna sling you over my shoulder like a caveman and carry you home.”

You giggle. “I’d like that,” you confess.

“I’ll remember,” he promises.

Jenn enters the kitchen and eyes both of you. “You know, if you two just want to head out, no one’s going to blame you. I’ll even keep Rusty here tonight if you want privacy.”

Matt shakes his head. “Naw, I gotta at least say hi to everyone, you know? And I need to talk to you about a few family things anyway, big sis.”

“All right, all right. Just remember that I offered!”

She pokes him in the chest and he winks at her. “Why don’t you do whatever you need to do, darlin’, and I’ll talk to Jenn, all right?”

For a moment, you’re reluctant to leave him, like if you stop touching him, he’ll disappear. He realizes what you’re thinking and grins down at you. “I’m gonna be right here, darlin’. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

He kisses your cheek and you nod, turning and focusing on setting everything out. Jenn set up a beautiful table outside. She’s got such an eye for design that you’re thinking about asking her to join you at your catering company.

First, you carry out your clear jug jars and fill them with homemade peach sweet tea and lemonade. Jenn’s husband already set out the bottled drinks, various beers and soda, in coolers.

He’s firing up the grill. You bring him the big batch of Texas barbecue sauce you made the day before to baste with as he cooks chicken, steak, and jalapeno sausages.

Jenn’s going to cut fresh watermelon and you’re going to grill corn once everyone really starts eating.

You carefully place the bowls of coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, and homemade pickles in larger bowls filled with ice so they stay cold, then grab the trays of cornbread, both spicy and not, that you and Jenn made this morning.

Everything is perfect, and you’re very proud of it. You wanted Matt to have a fantastic meal when he came home, and you think you’ve accomplished that.

He comes out a few moments later. Rusty starts to bark wildly and runs to him. Matt catches him in his arms and hugs him tight before rolling around in the yard with him, making everyone, including you, laugh.

When they’re done greeting each other, Rusty grabs Matt’s t-shirt between his teeth and starts to drag him over to you. Everyone laughs again and you lean down to scratch his ears. “Thanks, boy,” you tell him, kissing his forehead.

“Damn dog has good taste,” Matt agrees, grabbing you and kissing you again.

He seems even happier than he was inside. You can only guess that he’s just glad to be home.

“All right!” he hollers, waving at everyone. “Let’s get this party started!”

He goes to the grill, happy to be put to work. It’s an easy way for him to make sure he talks to everyone, you realize.

You make sure all your corn is ready and then kiss his cheek. “You want a beer?” you ask him.

He shakes his head. “No. But I’d like some of that sweet tea you made, darlin’. Please and thank you.”

You get him some, tilting your head curiously as you hand it to him. He raises an eyebrow and smirks. “What?” he wonders.

“I just thought you’d want a beer,” you admit, unreasonably worried about the fact that you were wrong.

“Normally, I would,” he explains, “but…” He leans down to press his mouth to your ear. “But tonight,” he repeats, “I want to have all my faculties about me for ravaging you.”

You turn pink as he adds, “Your cleavage looks even better in person, by the way.”

For the next hour or so, you just man your spot on the grill next to him. He talks to everyone, shakes hands, gives out hugs. He’s kind and funny, asking about families and work, telling jokes. You’re content to be quiet beside him, especially since no one’s really seen you together yet. Most of the people here weren’t at the airport.

When everyone else has been fed, you make plates for both of you, bringing them back to the grill so he can finish them off with meat. You sit down next to him and he pulls you into his side, eating with one hand and keeping the other around you.

“Everything is fantastic, darlin’. Especially this sauce. Damn. Best I’ve ever had.”

You blush happily at the compliment. “I’m glad. Thank you for cooking so much. It’s all perfect. You could have just relaxed, though.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not good at being idle. I always like having something to do, you know?”

“I understand that, especially lately,” you admit, smiling up at him.

He grins and kisses you. “I’ll take your mind off everything but me later,” he reminds you.

You blush and lick your lips. “I’m looking forward to it,” you whisper.

You stay until almost everyone else has left. Jenn refuses to let you clean up, but you insist on taking Rusty. He should be with Matt.

Matt hugs her, thanks her, and kisses her cheek, promising to see her again soon. She winks at both of you and tells you to have a good night.

Then Matt unceremoniously lifts you over his shoulder, making you laugh loudly. You shiver and tense as he smacks your ass before slipping you into the passenger seat of your car. You willingly hand over the keys and he gets in.

“Is your place all right?” he asks. “Mine needs a little restocking before it’s ready for me again.”

“My place is perfect,” you respond.

You’d thought about filling his fridge, but you’re honestly not sure what’s going to happen in terms of living space for the two of you, so you’d left it alone.

He reaches over and grasps your thigh, squeezing it longingly. “Now,” he murmurs, “I’ve been waiting for what feels like my whole life to get my hands on you. But I’m not gonna be upset if we don’t do anything tonight, darlin’, just so you know. I can wait for you, if you want to wait.”

“I don’t want to wait, Matthew,” you assure him quietly. “Please take me home.”

He nods. “Yes, ma’am,” he agrees, pushing the car into drive and heading out.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sy finally get some time alone together.

When you arrive back at your place, Matt gets Rusty out of the back of the car and lets him inside. He immediately goes to the bed you got for him and curls up, as if he knows that he should stay out of your way tonight.

Matt shuts the door behind you, then grabs you by the waist and spins you around to face him. His hands move to your neck, and he swallows as he cups your cheeks in his hands, pressing his forehead against yours, brushing his nose over yours, his lips hovering just out of reach.

You’re not sure what to do or say, but you don’t have to think about it. As soon as you take a breath, he leans in and kisses you.

Now that you’re alone, his kiss is different. It’s deep and possessive, like he’s laying claim to you.

You don’t mind at all. You think you’ve actually been his for a long time. You just didn’t know it until recently.

He moves, pressing you against the wall, panting as he kisses his way along your jawline. He pauses as he reaches your neck and presses his lips to your ear.

“Can I mark you, darlin’?” he begs.

His voice is desperate, and his body is tight, almost vibrating with nervous energy. You run your hands over his chest through his t-shirt, trying to soothe him as you nod. “Yes, Matthew.”

He makes a primal sound of longing and moves one arm to your waist again to pull you closer. You tip your head back as he starts to suck, moaning softly.

He growls in response. “I’ve been imagining what you sound like in bed ever since you sent me those pictures,” he murmurs. “I want to kiss every inch of you, darlin’, especially those perfect breasts.”

To emphasize his point, he squeezes them and goes back to sucking. His hips press against yours and you moan louder as you feel how hard he is in his pants. You can’t help noticing that he’s absolutely enormous. Even without seeing him, you know you’ve never been with someone that big.

You arch your back, rubbing yourself against him, whining as he moves to the other side of your neck, his thumbs circling your stiffening nipples through your dress and bra. When you run your hands over his back, you realize how tense he is. He feels like he’s ready to snap.

“Matt,” you whisper. “Matt, look at me.”

He gulps and leans back to meet your eyes, gazing down at you. His blue eyes are stormy, the brown spot hardly visible at all because they’re so dark.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asks hoarsely.

You shake your head, reaching up to gently touch his cheek. “Of course not,” you assure him. “You’re just so wound up. Relax and enjoy yourself. We have time.”

He nods. “Deep down, I know that,” he admits, his voice gravelly. “But, I, well…”

You wait, tracing your thumb over his lips, smiling reassuringly.

“I’m impatient,” he finally confesses. “But I also don’t want to rush.”

He rubs a hand over his close-cropped hair and sighs in frustration. You wrap your arms around his neck and pull him down to you. “Just let it happen, Matt. I’m not going to be disappointed, no matter what.”

You stand on your tiptoes and gently kiss the faint scars on his face. He responds by running his hands down your back and over your ass, squeezing it and smacking it lightly before he pushes your dress up and touches your bare thighs.

He turns his head, his mouth finding yours again as he lifts you, his big, rough hands gripping your thighs as he does. “Where’s your bedroom, darlin’?” he wonders.

You point and he takes you there, kissing you the whole way. He lays you down on the bed and slowly lowers himself on top of you, his kisses growing deeper and more urgent. You finally push your hands under his shirt, feeling his muscles and the thick mat of hair covering them.

He moans as you touch him and you feel his cock twitch against you through his pants. You slide your hand down between you, grazing it with your palm.

Then you slide your hand over a little and feel a solid, square lump in his pocket. “What is that, Matt?” you giggle. “I already know you’re happy to see me.”

“Shit,” he mutters, sitting back up on his knees and digging his hand in after it. “That’s, um…” He blows out a breath, his brow furrowed, then rubs his hand over his head again. “It was supposed to be for tomorrow morning.”

You sit up, reaching for his free hand as he pulls the box out of his pocket. Your eyes widen when you see that it’s the right size for a ring.

“Matt…” you gasp softly, covering your mouth with your other hand. “Is that what I think it is?”

He smiles affectionately. “I suppose that depends on what you think it is.”

He gets off the bed and pulls you to the edge of it, then gets down on one knee and opens the box. Inside is a beautiful antique ring.

He takes your hand in his and gazes up at you, licking his lips nervously. “Um. I, uh, got this from Jenn today. It was my grandmother’s. Since she only had girls, she saved it and left it to me when she passed. To give to the perfect woman when I found her.”

He sniffles and wipes away a few tears. You squeeze his hand gently, starting to cry yourself.

“Somehow, I found her even though she was a whole world away. And now she’s sitting here right in front of me and I just don’t wanna wait any longer.”

“I don’t want to wait either,” you assure him.

“Good.” He laughs softly to himself, his smile wide, his blue eyes shining as he looks up into yours. “Darlin’, will you do me the great honor of marrying me?”

You throw yourself off of the bed and into his arms. He lands on the floor on his back, laughing louder, holding you close with one hand, the ring still in the other.

“Yes, Matthew,” you answer. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

You kiss him enthusiastically. He rolls until you’re underneath him on the floor, then removes the ring from the box and slips it onto your hand.

You admire it, beaming up at him. “It fits perfectly,” you observe.

“A good sign,” he murmurs happily, kissing your nose. “I was going to do a whole thing, you know. Make you breakfast, come up with an amazing speech.”

“Luckily for you, I don’t mind the in the middle of getting it on approach,” you tease.

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” he retorts. “This is your fault. All that feeling around down there.”

He winks. His cheekiness quickly disappears as you reach down again, finding him and squeezing him in his pants.

“I can’t help it,” you purr, kissing and then biting his earlobe. “There’s something I want down there.”

He groans and rocks into your hand. “God, I wanna give it to you, darlin’,” he rumbles. “But not here on the floor.”

He stands, keeping you clasped gently in his arms, then lays back on the bed with you on top of him. You lean down and kiss him, then start pushing his shirt up.

“I want to see you, Matt.”

“I wanna see what you look like with just that ring on, darlin’.”

He strips his shirt off as you remove your dress, tossing it over your head and onto the floor. You reach down and start to undo his pants as he reaches up to remove your bra, popping it open smoothly in one try. You slip back onto the floor momentarily to get his pants off, removing his shoes, socks, and his underwear too.

He pants as you run your fingernails up his powerful thighs, your eyes glued to his erect cock. It’s long and straight and thick, the tip pink and swollen and already leaking.

You can’t resist taking him in your hand, tugging his foreskin down gently, and swirling your tongue over his head to taste him.

“God, darlin’,” he growls. “You wanna do that for me?”

“Yes, Matt,” you murmur, sealing your lips around him and starting to bob your head.

His hand finds your hair and tentatively pushes you down. You go easily, taking in more of him, sucking eagerly.

It’s not long before he pulls you off of him. “Stop, darlin’, stop,” he gasps, his chest heaving.

You raise your head, licking your lips. “Did you not like it?” you wonder self-consciously.

“Oh, I liked it,” he assures you. “I just want to be inside you the first time.”

He sits up and lifts you into his lap, then rolls and pins you beneath him again. He kisses you, tugging your panties down to remove the last scrap of clothing between you. You part your legs after so he can rest between them.

He sighs. “God, you’re warm, darlin’. Mmm.”

He buries his face in your neck, kissing it sweetly, inhaling your scent. You feel the wetness of his tears on your skin and reach up to stroke his hair and beard.

“What is it, Matt?”

He swallows, then whispers, “When that bomb went off, I thought it was over. And all I could think about was never seeing you in person. Never telling you how I felt. Never getting to come home and marry you, have babies with you.”

He rolls onto his side slightly, cradling you against him as you come to rest on your side too.

“I’ve never been afraid like that before, darlin’,” he admits. “I still handled it, like I always do. But the thought of leaving you alone when I knew I’d made myself mean so much to you made me afraid. All I wanted was to come back home and be with you.”

“You are with me, Matthew,” you remind him.

He nods. “I know. But part of me is afraid that if I close my eyes, you won’t be here when I open them again.”

“I’ll be here,” you soothe him. “I promise. And even when your eyes are shut, you’ll know I’m here because I’m touching you. I love you, Matthew. More than I ever thought I could love someone.”

He kisses you, drawing your thigh up over his hip. “I love you too, darlin’. More than anything.”

He’s so close to being inside of you. You moan softly as he lowers his head and begins to kiss your breasts, his beard rubbing against you, making your toes curl.

“Matthew, I want you inside me,” you beg.

He nods as he presses an open-mouthed kiss to one of your nipples, then the other. “I have condoms in my pants,” he tells you, turning like he’s going to get off of the bed to retrieve them.

But you stop him. “We love each other, we’re getting married, and we want babies. Do we need protection?”

You actually feel him get even harder at the suggestion. He turns back to you, and without warning, he’s attacking your mouth, his tongue tangling with yours as he uses a hand to press himself to your entrance.

When he pushes inside, you cry out softly. He feels even bigger than he looks, and he quickly stops, letting you adjust.

“I’m okay, Matthew,” you assure him.

He kisses you again, gathering you as close as he can without pushing deeper. “You feel divine on my bare cock, darlin’,” he grunts.

“You feel good too.”

“You’re sure?”

You nod. “More, please, Matt.”

He starts to move, and you can tell he’s holding back. You slide your fingers into his beard and kiss him, reaching down to grab a handful of his ass in the other. He jumps slightly, but keeps up his slow pace.

“You’re holding back, Matt.”

“Don’t wanna be too rough with you,” he huffs.

“I like it a little rough.”

He blows out a breath and laughs. “Don’t tempt me, darlin’.”

“Please,” you croon. “Matt, please. I’ve been waiting so long. I want to feel it. Really feel it. I want you to fill me up and put a baby in me.”

“Fuckin’ hell, darlin’,” he growls.

You giggle as he flips you onto your back and drives into you deep, making you groan loudly. You brace your hands against his chest, your ring glittering in the low light in the room.

“Yes, Matt,” you whisper. “Just like this.”

He kisses you fiercely and starts to move, snapping his hips fast and hard. Each thrust seems to split you open, but all you want is more. You wrap your legs around him, warmth settling low in your belly as he drives you closer and closer to completion.

When you reach it, you tense underneath him, crying out his name. He thrusts one more time, then lets himself go deep inside you.

You tremble against each other, both holding on tight. He holds himself up over you, his biceps bulging with the effort, his forehead resting against yours.

“That did not last nearly long enough,” he decides, kissing one cheek, then the other, then your mouth.

You pull his full weight down on you, snuggling against him contentedly. “I thought it was perfect, Matthew. Thank you.”

“Aren’t I supposed to put your legs up over your head or some shit?” he teases. “Make sure my stuff really gets in there?”

You laugh. “You can if you want.”

“Hm,” he muses. “I think I’d rather just make love to you again when I stiffen back up.”

He kisses you once more and you’re lost in him. His touch, his smell, everything about him speaks to your soul. You’re his, and he’s yours.

He makes good on his promise, again and again. You both get a few hours of blissful sleep close to dawn.

When you wake, he’s gone, but you can hear him in the kitchen, so you stay in bed. You’re fairly certain that you can’t walk, anyway.

Not long after, he comes into the bedroom with a tray. He’s wearing one of your aprons.

And absolutely nothing else, you realize, as he turns around to head back to the kitchen.

“Tease!” you laugh, throwing a piece of toast at him.

He turns and catches it, taking a bite and winking at you. “Love you, darlin’,” he says easily, nodding as he disappears into the hallway.

You lean back happily, starting to eat your breakfast.

It’s hard to believe that you were alone not too long ago. Now you’re engaged, and you might be pregnant.

Matthew Syverson is your whole future, and you’ve never been more excited to live it.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sy live happily ever after.

**Five Years Later**

Matt catches you trying to help at the food table. He puts an arm around you gently, resting his other hand on the immense curve of your swollen belly, and steers you back to your comfortable chair.

“How many times do I have to tell you to sit down, darlin’?” he scolds you affectionately. “Put your feet up and rest.”

“I’m pregnant, Matt,” you protest. “Not sick or hurt. I can help.”

“You are one week overdue, darlin’,” he reminds you. “Remember last time? I’d prefer you sitting down, just in case.”

You pout, but he’s definitely right. When Logan was born, you hadn’t even made it to the hospital. Your contractions had started and you had dilated before Matt could even get you to the car.

He’d delivered your son on the floor of your beautiful industrial kitchen. It had happened so fast that you could barely remember it, honestly.

What you definitely remembered was the awed smile on Matt’s face as he’d cradled your tiny baby boy in his arms.

A lot of dads have mugs proclaiming them the world’s greatest, but Matt is actually it. He’s the best husband and father you could have ever imagined.

Even when he’s being overprotective, you don’t mind. It’s part of his charm.

So you smile up at him and nod. “You’re right, Poppa Bear.”

“Damn straight I am.” He kneels in front of you and kisses your belly. “You’re carrying precious cargo.”

Jenn swings by with Logan on her hip. “Someone wants his daddy,” she announces, handing him over and winking at you.

Rusty’s right behind her. He never leaves Logan’s side. It started while you were pregnant and just didn’t stop. You can’t get over how sweet it is that your boy has his own personal guardian angel.

Logan is half-asleep. He’s been playing all afternoon, so you’re not surprised.

When he can’t be in his bed at home, he likes to sleep on Matt’s shoulder, so Matt hugs him and kisses his temple, then cradles him against his chest.

You’ll never get over how beautiful he is. Mostly, he looks more like Matt than you, but he got your hair color and nose.

Now you’re about to have another boy, Noah, and you can’t wait to see what he looks like.

You’ll try for another in a few years. Matt’s determined to put a girl in you at some point, and you are not at all opposed.

Your life is exactly how you pictured it. You, and now Jenn, run your expanded catering company from the house Matt built so you can stay home. He works out of the nearby base, and so far, he hasn’t been deployed again.

On the weekends, he works with service dogs for veterans, which was how you found your second dog, a beautiful German Shepherd Matt named Aika after a dog he’d known in Iraq.

Matt sits down beside you, shifting Logan to his other side so you can lean against him. “What’re you thinking, darlin’?” he wonders.

You smile up at him. “I’m thinking that I’ve never been so happy,” you confess.

He chuckles. “Good. Then I’m doing my job.”

He gives you a kiss. You sit and gaze out at the family barbecue, perfectly content with your simple life.

**THE END**


End file.
